Dark fishing adventure DREADMOOR is giving players their first chance to jump into its eerie world with a public playtest available now on PC through Steam. The playtest arrives as part of Steam Ocean Fest and celebrates the game surpassing 200,000 wishlists ahead of its full release.
Developed by Dream Dock and published by Digital Vortex Entertainment, DREADMOOR blends survival mechanics with exploration and fishing in a post-apocalyptic bayou. While the game has previously appeared at in-person events, this marks the first time players around the world can experience it from their own PCs.
The playtest introduces several features that haven’t been shown publicly before. Players will encounter a dynamic day-and-night cycle, with nighttime bringing the threat of terrifying tentacle attacks lurking beneath the water. Exploration plays a major role as well, with mechanics such as tuning radios to the right frequency, using lockpicks to access restricted areas, refueling generators, solving water-flow puzzles, and unlocking new recipes through the game’s Mastery system.
Set in a bayou devastated by a mysterious plague, players pilot a battered fishing boat through the dangerous Submerged Lands in search of valuable catches. But these waters are far from peaceful. Mutated predators roam the depths, turning every fishing expedition into a tense risk-and-reward encounter where even the bait might become the hunter.
After filling the boat with strange and mutated fish, players can return to a bait shop perched on the back of a massive crab to sell their haul. The resources earned can then be used to upgrade the boat’s hull, improve fishing equipment, and craft specialized lures designed to capture even rarer and more dangerous creatures.
According to Dream Dock CEO Rostislav Fedorov, the development team has relied heavily on community feedback to shape the experience so far. The current playtest offers only a small taste of what the game will eventually include, but it gives players an early opportunity to explore the haunting world of DREADMOOR.
DREADMOOR is currently planned to launch on PC via Steam in Q4 2026.